Lovebot creator shares the love at CAMH

You’ve heard of Lovebots – those adorable concrete robots with the big hearts that popped up around Toronto a few years ago and captured the city’s hearts – but are you ready for the Lovebus?

That’s the idea behind a new collaboration between CAMH’s Gifts of Light, Workman Arts and Toronto-based artist Matthew Del Degan, the creator of the two-foot-tall concrete sculptures.

“Over the last couple of years the current CAMH bus was starting to wear down,” says Quinn Kirby, Manager of the Gifts of Light program. “When we heard from our shipping and receiving team that over 16 patient field trips had been cancelled due to mechanical problems, Gifts of Light knew we needed to do something to change this. The opportunity to purchase a brand new CAMH bus for patients and staff became a priority for us.”

With a new bus incoming, the opportunity to put a distinct stamp on it was hard to pass up, and for Matt, it was a way to give back.

“CAMH is an organization that gave me so much, and I wanted to give back,” says Matt, who was a patient of CAMH’s several years ago. “Plus it’ll be really fun to see a bus driving around with all this cool stuff on it.”

The ‘cool stuff’ that Matt refers to will come in the form of a large vinyl covering that will transform the bus into a mobile work of art. Earlier this year, patients and staff were invited to contribute to the project at a Gifts of Light sponsored art collaboration and meet-and-greet event at our Queen Street site. Patients and staff were invited to sketch out ideas to incorporate into the final design.

Matt’s experiences as a sponsored skateboarder, skydiver, graffiti artist and trampoline coach, among other things, contributes to the energy that he brings to projects like Lovebot. But he credits his time as a patient at CAMH when he was able to understand himself more.

“[Being a patient at CAMH] influenced my understanding of myself. I got so much insight into how, when I’m not well, I can’t create because my creative juices are diminished,” says Matt, reflecting on his self-discovery while at the hospital. “A lot of what I learned has shaped the way I approach myself, and therefore it changes the way I approach my artwork.”

“The chance to partner with Matt/“Lovebot” to design what this bus would look like was especially appealing, as we wanted the patient voice to play a role in this project,” adds Quinn. “Matt is the perfect person to collaborate with on this one-of-a-kind piece. We can’t wait to share the finished product with our CAMH community and the Greater Toronto Area.”

Stay tuned for details on a celebratory event to welcome the new Gifts of Light bus to CAMH this spring.

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